The History of Yamaha

The company was founded by entrepreneur Torakusu Yamaha. In his small town of Hamamatsu, he was known as a passionate technology enthusiast and handyman, making a living repairing clocks and medical instruments. But one day he was asked to repair the local harmonium (as the reed organ was called), and the restoration work fascinated him so much that Torakusu reworked every part with his own hands. As a result, several months later he built his own organ - from a clean slate and even with a few minor revisions. Eager to have his work appraised by specialists, he sent the harmonium to the Institute of Musical Instruments in Tokyo for inspection. Of course, not everything was perfect and some shortcomings were found, but the professionals recognized the high level of performance. Torakusu was not one to lose heart. He decided to stay in Tokyo and study the new business thoroughly - a month of lectures at the Institute of Musical Instruments was not in vain. The second organ assembled after the study was deemed 'worthy to replace its imported counterparts'. These events took place in 1887, and it was then that the master chose the vector of future business development. In 1889 Torakusu Yamaha founded the company Yamaha Organ Works, and eight years later, in 1897, he founded the company Nippon Gakki, the symbol of which were the tuning fork and the trademark - the figure of the Chinese phoenix with a tuning fork in its beak. In the same year the company received its first export order for organs to Southeast Asia, and in 1900 it produced its first batch of pianos. In 1902 the first pianos under the Yamaha brand began to be produced, and in 1904 the organ and uprights produced by the company won the Grand Prize at the World's Fair in St. Louis, USA. The company's successes in woodworking were also noted.

In 1914, Nippon Gakki began manufacturing harmonica instruments under the Yamaha brand and in the same year began exporting. Success accompanied the company in all endeavors. In 1921, the Japanese government decided to use the experience of Nippon Gakki in woodworking to create aircraft propellers. In 1922, high-quality phonographs began to be produced under the Yamaha brand. In 1930, the first acoustic analysis laboratory was founded, in 1932 the production of wind organs was mastered and in 1941 acoustic guitars were produced. The company was able to quickly and efficiently repurpose its production. Thus metalworking technologies were in demand for casting frames for grand pianos and pianos, and later in the production of wind instruments.

After World War II, the owners of Nippon Gakki thought about refocusing the company on more marketable products, such as modern motorized vehicles. The new direction of development was made possible exclusively by the personal data of the new Yamaha manager, Genichi Kawakami. Ambitious goals and creativity are how one can characterize this period in Yamaha's history. Ambitious goals and creativity is how one might characterize this period in Yamaha's history. Genichi was the eldest son of Kaichi Kawakami, the company's third president. Genichi joined the company in 1937 and soon became head of one of its factories. He then became managing director and, in 1950, at age 39, became the company's fourth president. Recalling the establishment of Yamaha Motor, Genichi Kawakami stated, 'Although the company was doing well and had good financial results, I knew we had to find new fields of operation. I did some research to see what could be produced on the machines we had. That's how my thoughts went to motorcycles. Although we entered this market later than others, my research manager and others had visited the leading motorcycle factories in the country and convinced me that there was a lot of room for growth in this market. I didn't want to start this unfamiliar business without some preparation, so we went to the German motorcycle factories before we started developing our first 125cc motorcycle'. After several years of preparation, the company produced its first motorcycle, the YA-1. This small model, equipped with a single-cylinder 125cc two-stroke motor, was called the Red Dragonfly and was a resounding success for its creators. The company's management decided to found a subsidiary company, which became engaged in production of motorcycles - Yamaha Motor in 1955. Thus, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. was born, headed by its founding president, Genichi Kawakami. In the first race in Japan, the YA-1 motorcycle won and became famous throughout the country. After its brilliant debut in Japan, Yamaha focused its attention on the international market. Yamaha won a podium at the U.S. Grand Prix, Catalina, on its first attempt. The company then decided to try its hand at the TT races on the Isle of Man, which were rightfully considered the toughest races in the world, and took the prize again, making a name for itself around the world. Do not forget to use Yamaha VIN decoder in order to avoid potential problems when buying a used car.